Bangkok has long been a popular choice among Singaporeans for a quick getaway.

With an equally bustling nightlife and street food scene, ask any Singaporean for recommendations on where to go and what to eat and you’re more than likely to get passionate endorsements of cafes and malls located all around the city.

One of the most popular haunts among Singaporeans is a particular wanton noodle store along Soi 19 in the Pratunam neighbourhood.

Named ‘SabX2 Wanton Noodles’, their wanton noodles are slightly different from the ones we’re used to in Singapore.

As compared to the version that’s slathered with thick and sweet gravy, the wanton noodles at SabX2 are served dry, and come topped with chunks of crab meat.

But perhaps something that makes them stand out even more than their unique brand of wanton noodles is the multiple sign boards around the shop that pretty much yell out a message loud and clear – that they don’t have any branches in Singapore.

With Soi 19 gaining much popularity here (they have expanded from a humble stall in an Ang Mo Kio coffeeshop to a total of three stores islandwide), it’s no wonder that the owner of SabX2 wants to differentiate themselves from their Singaporean rival.

One of his more significant tweaks was to the noodles used, and Mr Ng had to try 20 different kinds of noodles before deciding on ‘the one’.

“Some older people said the noodles were too hard, or had no sauce…they had a lot of complaints, so we had to go and find some in-between one (sic) to match everyone’s appetite,” said Claire.

Getting Singaporeans acquainted with Thai-style wanton mee was also a challenge they faced, and there was a fair share of those who doubted the ‘authenticity’ of the noodles and those who didn’t even dare to give it a try.

“There were no profits from the business! We were making big losses [at the start].”

Their Saving Grace – Food Bloggers And Millennials

Having experienced first-hand the difficulties of winning over a Singaporean unacquainted with Thai wanton noodles, the family decided to take a different approach in marketing their business.

“We started targeting young people, because most of them have tried the Bangkok one. [In turn,] they’ll tell their parents and elders, and then that group will start to try and accept it slowly,” revealed Claire.

The store also received rave reviews from food blogs (like Miss Tam Chiak, SethLui.com), and they received a nod from mainstream media as well, when they were awarded the ‘Best Hawker Stall’ award by AsiaOne in 2016.